For Keeps
by blerghy
Summary: After this, there was no way I was ever going to let him go.


Disclaimer: Not mine. :P

A/N: I'm not entirely sure how to look at this pairing. Dain doesn't _have_ a gender. He's an Ol, he can be whatever he likes. So it can het, slash, both or neither. Weird... And I know the scenario is unrealistic. Bear with me. :P

This one-shot was written as a part of the Deltora Quest One-Shot Challenge. The challenge is open to anyone who wishes to take part, and the details for the challenge can be found in the main DQ Forum. Just click the link below to find out more! Each one-shot must contain several key features that have been listed in the forum. Help bring more wonderful stories to the Deltora Quest fandom by taking part, it's all for a bit of fun! .net/topic/4169/69621/2/

For Keeps

"And where are you off to, hmm?"

Lief jumped, whirling around, huffing as he recognised me. He removed his hand from the hilt of his sword, squaring his shoulders and setting his jaw. He was clearly not pleased by my presence.

"Dain," he greeted, turning his back on me and moving off again. I followed, a smirk adorning my lips. He never ceased to amuse me, the naïve, silly little human.

"You never answered my question. Where are you going?"

"Why should I tell you?" he said, glaring at me defiantly.

"Well, you would not want me running off to Doom, surely. If my tongue were to slip…"

"Hold your tongue, if you want to keep it in your mouth," he snarled. I smirked again, sticking my hands into my pockets as I loped along, easily keeping up, much to his annoyance.

"So aggressive. I wonder what you could be hiding…" I trailed off, tapping my chin.

"I am going for a ride, if you must know," he said through gritted teeth.

"Is that allowed? We hardly have many horses at our disposal. And once you get out of the hideout, who knows? You may get caught."

"I do not care. I am going." He was practically stomping now, looking like a petulant child. My smirk widened. He was so easy to rile up.

"Any particular reason for this night-time adventure?"

"I just want to get out and clear my head."

"You find riding soothing, then?"

"Clearly."

"How is it that a blacksmith's son learnt to ride in these troubled times? Surely your parents could not have afforded a horse," I said. I looked down at him, genuinely curious. He intrigued me, always had, and I was determined to find out all I could about him. He had managed to capture my attention, human though he was, and I wanted to know _why._

"No, we could not afford a horse. But my father shoed horses, and he used to let me ride them. The owners never knew, and it hardly would have mattered."

"Dear me, deceiving his clients? Scandalous."

"It was not like that. Now leave me alone! Go back to bed, or go and make yourself useful somewhere."

"Why would I do that, when I am having such a riveting conversation with you?"

I nodded to the guards and they let us past without question. I doubt that Lief would have been able to go out at all if I had not been with him. My status had many benefits.

My nose wrinkled at the stench of the garbage piles, but I stayed with Lief, heading to the hidden stable. We had very few horses, not nearly enough to carry all of our people, but enough to pull some carts. And, though it was not really allowed, I was going to let Lief ride one of them if he really wanted to. Not for the first time, I wondered why I was so nice to him. I would not have done the same for anyone else. Lief always had that effect on me.

When we finally got to the stables, the guards letting us past only because of me, Lief wandered around, looking for the perfect horse. We had no saddles, as they were heavy and expensive, and the horses only pulled carts, but we did have reins. I selected some and handed them to Lief once he had finally decided on a horse. A restless looking mare.

I simply watched as he put on the reins, staring as his lithe fingers went about their task with practised ease. My eyes travelled up to his face, and I smiled at the look of concentration, his brows drawn together slightly. He was… cute, I suppose.

As he turned to look at me, he gave me an odd look at seeing my smile. I shrugged, following after he led the horse out. He raised a questioning eyebrow at me as I moved closer.

"I am coming too, you realise," I said.

"But-"

"I walked you here. Did you think I just came for the sake of it?"

"I need to clear my head, Dain. Everything that has happened recently…" he trailed off, running a hand over his face, his eyes downcast. "Barda…"

"We are doing all we can for Barda," I said gently. I nearly winced at my lie. _They_ were doing all they could, while _I _was trying to kill him. Seeing Lief look so dejected almost made me feel… guilty. Almost. But my fondness for him was not enough to stop me from killing his friends.

"Should you not be with Jasmine?" he asked suddenly, glaring at me again. "She is in sitting with Barda."

"Why would I be with Jasmine?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. I had to stop myself from grinning. It was strange. Whenever Lief was around, my emotions became, well, _human_. I was not supposed to be able to feel this way.

"After all the flirting you have been doing, I am amazed you can stand to be away from her. You may miss an opportunity!"

"Jealous?" I teased. His cheeks darkened slightly but he made no reply, turning his back on me instead. I felt a foreign emotion build inside me. For some reason, I wanted him to be jealous because he liked _me_. Strange human emotions…

With a little difficulty, he pulled himself onto the mare, getting as comfortable as he could on her bare back. Before he could say anything, I jumped up behind him, wrapping my arms around his slim frame.

"What are you doing?" he gasped, seeming genuinely surprised.

"Going for a ride," I said, smiling sweetly. Ah, he was so much fun to annoy.

"Get your own horse!"

"No. We can fit on this one. Or are you too scared of me? Do I intimidate you?" I teased. Once again, he rose to the bait, growling and nudging the mare with his heels. We went out into the garbage piles once more, the guards giving us a strange look but letting us pass anyway. I loved my status as a trusted member of the rebellion. It gave me so many opportunities.

"Go in that direction. There are some fields there, and no Grey Guards about. We can have a proper ride," I said, my breath caressing Lief's ear as I leaned even further into him to show him the way.

"How do you know all this?" He demanded, heading in the direction I had pointed out.

"Our people survey the surrounding areas frequently. And I was with Doom just this afternoon when he received the report." And being an Ol helped as well. I knew where the troops were supposed to be.

Lief sat in silence, urging the mare to go faster. She did so very cheerfully, happy to stretch her legs. I was pressed close against Lief's back, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He had no idea how much danger he was in. But, then again, I did not know if I would be able to harm him if the need ever arose. He was pleasant to touch, with nice lean muscles, and he was _warm._ I did not want him to go cold.

After a while, Lief pulled on the reins and clambered off, me going after him. He tied the horse to a strong branch, allowing her to graze. He settled himself on the grass beneath a tree, staring up at the moon with a thoughtful look on his face. I flopped onto the grass next to him, turning my gaze to his face.

I could see his irritation rising, but he still refused to look at me. I moved closer to him, blowing in his ear. My stare never wavered, and after around ten minutes, he finally turned to glare at me.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"That!"

"You mean this?" My eyes were still on his face.

"Just stop staring! What is wrong with you?"

"Not my fault. You just look so pretty in the moonlight," I chirped. My eyes widened a fraction at what I had just said. I scrutinised his face more closely and decided that he did, in fact, look pretty. For a boy.

"What?" he choked, his eyes going round. I laughed, elbowing him in the side.

"Relax. You are so stressed all the time."

"Well, pardon me for living in the real world," he snarled, making to get up. Before I fully realised what I was doing, my hand whipped up to grab his wrist.

"Ow!" he yelped, and I quickly loosened my hold. I had not meant to hurt him. I pulled him, far more gently this time, back onto the ground beside me. He rubbed his bruised wrist, anger and confusion in his eyes.

"Just relax," I said soothingly. "You came out to clear your head, so why not tell me what is bothering you?"

"Oh, I wonder. The Shadow Lord has my parents locked up, the fate of Deltora lies on my ability to find the heir, Barda is dying in his bed." The anger faded from his voice the more he said and he turned his face away from me. But not before I saw the glistening of tears in his eyes.

"Hey, Lief," I said, wrapping and arm around his shoulders. Seeing him sad made me sad as well. I did not like it when he was sad. I liked his smile, his warm eyes, and the sound of his laughter. He was not supposed to cry.

"What can I do?" he said, mostly to himself, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Nothing that you are not already doing," I said firmly.

"But it is not enough…"

"It is all you _can_ do." It was ironic that I was comforting him, considering the fact that I was working against all of his plans. But, once I had taken care of Barda, the rest of the resistance would soon follow. And surely, after all my hard work, my Master would allow me to keep one little human. I smiled to myself, petting his hair lightly.

He looked up at me, a sad smile on his face, and I moved closer to him, pressing my lips against his. The contact was very brief, and was gone before his brain caught up with the fact that it had happened. He just stared at me, shock on his face. He looked so alarmed that I could have laughed.

"Dain, w-what?" he stammered. I just shook my head, pulling him gently to his feet and leading him back to the mare. Untying her, I helped him on, as his limbs did not seem to be working properly. I swung up behind him, my arms circling his waist and holding the reins, as he seemed incapable of doing anything but stammering.

"Come on, let us go home," I said. As I urged the horse back in the direction of the camp, a faint-looking Lief in my arms, I smiled. I thought back to how soft his lips were, tightening my arms around him as I urged the mare faster. I would have to keep Lief. After this, there was no way I was ever going to let him go.


End file.
